


I Get a Kick Out of You

by Withered_keep



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Greasers, Fluff too though don’t worry, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Yamaguchi is a dumbass and kei is a bad boy with a heart of gold
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-06-25 15:32:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15643686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Withered_keep/pseuds/Withered_keep
Summary: Yamaguchi is an honors student wiz kid with friends of the same caliber.Tsukishima is the backbone of the Karasuno biker gang with a reputation to upkeep.Both have made the fatal mistake of falling in love at first sight.





	1. Chapter 1

_I get no kick from champagne,_  
_Mere alcohol_ ,  
_Doesn't thrill me at all_ ,  
_So tell me, why should it be true_ ,  
_That I get a kick out of you._

\-------

_That blonde hair. Those amber eyes. That stupid smirk. That fucking jacket. That stupid, dumb gorgeous, annoying laugh that-_

“Yamaguchi!” 

The sound of Yachi’s voice pulled him back into reality. The diner was busy, as always, with waitresses zipping around the bright linoleum floors trying to fulfill the orders made by dozens of famished high schoolers. Music played through the jukebox, underscoring the light chatter heard throughout the restaurant. Tadashi hung out there with his friends every afternoon, but today, Hinata and Kageyama were off somewhere practicing volleyball, so it was just him and Yachi.  
“Sorry about that, guess I spaced out for a second.” He replied, taking a sip of his milkshake and shifting his focus back to his friend.

“A second? More like 5 minutes.” She laughed. She shook her head back and forth. “What were you even staring at anyway?” 

“What? Nothing! I wasn’t staring at anything! I was just-“ Tadashi protested, but the girl was already following his eyes, where her shrewd gaze ultimately fell upon him. She whipped her head back so fast, Tadashi was surprised she didn’t get whiplash. 

“No. No. No! No fucking way!” She whispered, if you could even call it a whisper  
.  
_More like a quiet scream_ , he thought.

“You know those guys are like, major trouble!” 

“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” She was borderline shouting at this point, and lord knows that Tadashi wasn’t gonna let her spill his stupid crush to the whole goddamn restaurant. She settled down back in her seat, very obviously trying to sneak glances at the guy sitting at the other side of the diner. Yamaguchi felt his face heating up as he silently prayed that he wouldn’t turn around and notice his friend’s conspicuous spying. He gave her arm a quick slap.

“Would you stop that?” He snapped. “Do you want me to get beat up?”

“Sorry.” She whispered, a real whisper this time. “But seriously, are you really crushing on a guy from _Karasuno_?” She continued, learning in closer, nearly crushing their faces together. He could see the concern in her eyes, though he couldn’t quite understand why. It wasn’t like he was gonna tell him or anything. Like he said, he wasn’t trying to get beat up. 

 

Tsukishima was bored. Really bored. And hungry.  
His food was taking way too long, and Bokuto had been talking about god knows what for god knows how long. So his mind started to wander. And so did his eyes, apparently, as they landed on the boy on the other side of the diner.  
_Fuck, he’s cute_. Kei thought, watching him talk animatedly with his friend (girlfriend?) across the table from him. He probably shouldn’t be staring, but the boy was mesmerizing. Long brown hair framed his face, dotted all over with freckles. He laughed, and his smile- oh god his _smile _\- he’d never seen anything as bright. He was sure he’d probably seen him around, undoubtably the kid went to the same school.__  
_If I only knew his name.._ he thought, before realizing where he was and more importantly, who he was. He wasn’t about to sully his reputation as the stone-faced backbone of the Karasuno gang by announcing to the whole world that he was some sort of fruitcake. And so he (reluctantly, he may add) dragged his focus away from whoever that idiot - for that was what he was calling him now- was. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last long as his curiosity got the best of him, and his mind took a stroll back down short term memory lane. It wasn’t until he allowed his gaze to fall back on the other side of the restaurant that he realized the boy was staring right _back._ Until he quickly pulled his gaze away, that is.  
_Traitor._ He thought.  
He took one final sip of his root beer and tossed two quarters on the table.  
“Where’re you going?”  
He tried not to look at Kuroo in the eyes, as he knew the guy could see right through him if he did. Instead, he looked over at the door and came up with some stupid excuse about how he needed to get home and clean his bike. As he pushed through the exit, he glanced one more time at the freckled boy sitting in the booth. Of course, he wouldn’t do anything about it. He wasn’t looking to soil his reputation. 

__\------------------------_ _

___It was hot. Really hot. And fucking humid too. And miserable. Tadashi tried to focus on things other than the weather as he walked home from school that night, but the sweat dripping down his brow was making it difficult._  
_But really, should it really be this hot at 8pm?_ He wondered, trudging down the street, backpack slung over one shoulder. He hated getting home so late after math team practice, but his dad insisted that it was good on college applications, and he wasn’t about to argue. So he went along his normal route, trying to think about anything that wasn’t the sauna he was living in at the moment.  
_That new movie Forbidden Planet is coming out soon, maybe I should see if Hinata wants to see it. Maybe if I talk to Mr.Delko I can raise my USH grade from an A- to an A. Did they ever catch who committed the Black Dahlia murder? What if-_  
His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of an engine coming up the street behind him. Yamaguchi froze, thinking of possible hiding places before the group of thugs got to him. Street gangs weren’t uncommon in the area, and being alone on an empty street at night makes you an easy target. Expecting more bikes to follow the first one, he turned to see how many there were. To his surprise, there was only one. And as the bike approached him he began to be able to make out the driver.  
_Oh shit,_ he realized.  
_It’s HIM._

__As Kei rounded the corner, he really didn’t expect to see anybody on the small side street. It was late, and he couldn’t imagine that anybody would want to be out, even if it was a nice night. But life always found a way of challenging his expectations, he supposed, as he definitely didn’t expect to run into the guy from the diner. The really cute guy from the diner. As he got closer and closer, he weighed his options. He could ignore the kid, making sure that his secret would never get out and he could keep up his image as the so-called “bad boy” he had been maintaining for so long. But it was night. And there was nobody on the street.  
_Nobody would know.__ _

__

__“Need a ride?”_ _

__The freckled boy stopped dead in his tracks._ _

__“Who, me?” He asked, still trying to process what was happening._ _

__“Yeah, you. Who else would I be talking to?” The guy cocked his head, letting out a soft chuckle. His hair blew in the hot breeze and although it was dark, Tadashi could still see those gorgeous amber eyes clear as day._ _

__“Uh. Why?” He stammered.  
_Real smooth, Tadashi.__ _

__He laughed again.  
“Because it’s like, 8 at night and it’s hotter than hell out? I figured you wouldn’t want to walk.” _ _

__Yamaguchi hoped that the dark of the evening hid his the pink in his cheeks._ _

___“Yeah, sure, uh. Okay.”_  
He glanced down at the bike the guy was riding. The thing looked like something out of a sci-fi novel, with all its shiny parts sticking out and sounding like a monster rising from the dead.  
“...On that thing though? I mean. It’s kind of a deathtrap.” 

__Kei rolled his eyes. This kid was obviously some sort of prep, told by his parents and peers that guys like him were “nothing but trouble.” Normally he’d find people like this irritating. Not this guy though. This guy, Kei took as a challenge._ _

__“I’ve been riding it for years and I’m still kicking. You’ll be fine, come on.”  
He held out his hand as an invitation, and he hoped the boy in front of him would RSVP._ _

__“Fine.” Yamaguchi resigned. If he was gonna die, he’d rather go out on the bike of a hot guy than anyway else, he supposed._ _

___Fuck. This is happening._ The blonde’s mind raced as the other boy grabbed his hand. Pulling him onto the back of the bike, the only things going through his mind were five words:_ _

___Do not screw this up._ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re sure this is safe?”

Tadashi climbed onto the back of the bike, sitting behind the stranger who had approached him moments before. 

“Yeah, just hold on to something.” He responded, turning his head to face front and gripped the motorcycle’s chrome handlebars. 

Tadashi looked around, trying to find something, anything that would keep him from becoming roadkill.  
“Hold on to what?” He asked. He could hear the panic rising in his voice, and it was getting harder to play it cool.

“Oh, uh. Me, I guess.”

_You’re kidding me._   
Suddenly Yamaguchi was happy that he was sitting in the back. He wrapped his arms around the other guy’s waist, clasping his hands for dear life. The guy’s leather jacket rubbed against his bare arms, and he wondered how anybody could wear a jacket in this weather. His rising body temperature wasn’t helping the heat either, both from the heat transfer and from his steadily growing embarrassment. 

“You all set?” The blonde asked, already revving his engine.

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose,” He responded. He expected the next thing to come out of his mouth to be his address. However, it unfortunately was not.

 

_“HOLY SHIT”_ \- was the first thing that Kei heard as they took off on the motorcycle. He couldn’t help but laugh when the kid behind him buried his face into the back of his jacket, and Kei swore he could hear him whispering prayers. That was when it sunk in that _oh shit he’s really holding onto me and we’re really close and fuck this was a bad idea._

But shit, he was really cute.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt your little church service back there,” he yelled, trying to get the guy’s attention over the roar of the engine, “but what’s your address?”

The guy mumbled some numbers and a street Kei thought he knew the neighborhood of, and even though the chilling winds weren’t very helpful in making what he said clearer, he could work out enough to plot a general course. As they flew through the streets, the cold air blowing past them and the quaint houses zipping by, Kei could feel the boy’s head slowly lift off his back. He had to keep his eyes on the road, but god he wished he could turn around and see the look on his face. He bet it was beautiful. As the ride went on, he became more and more aware of the arms gripping his waist. His destination slowly approaching, Tsukishima realized how much he really, _really,_ didn’t want this to end. 

“Hey, I need to take a small detour.”

————-

“A diner.” 

Yamaguchi looked up at the bright neon sign, not quite sure how he ended up here. One minute he was on the back of a motorcycle going way over the speed limit, the next minute he was standing on the dirty sidewalk again. 

“I’m not gonna be long, I swear.” The guy said, shrugging his jacket back on where it had slipped off his shoulders. He gave a small wave before turning around and walking toward the restaurant’s entrance. Tadashi slumped down onto the curb. 

_Still faster than walking, I guess._

 

Kei slipped out of the diner’s doors five minutes later, praying that the other boy would still be there when he got back. Luckily, he hadn’t left just yet. He slid in right next to him on the sidewalk and handed him one of the two cups he had brought out. 

“What in the world is this?” He asked, taking the cup from Kei’s hand and carefully examining it, as if he was looking for some evidence of tampering.

“It’s a milkshake, dumbass. I hope you like vanilla.”

Taking a sip, the boy sitting next to him furrowed his brows. 

“How about instead of just calling me insults, you call me by my own name?”

Tsukishima chuckled. He didn’t expect the smartypants to become a smartass so quickly. 

“I would if I knew it.” He responded, praying that the guy wouldn’t notice the pleading in his voice.

“Oh. Right.” The boy stuttered. 

_Aaand, back to flustered._ Tsukishima thought. Although his companion’s mood swings were entertaining, he was still finding it difficult not to stare at the adorable blush rising in the guy’s cheeks. It played nicely with his freckles, and brought depth and color to the boy’s complexion.

“Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi Tadashi.”

And so the gorgeous face of the stranger from the diner had a name. 

 

Tadashi was flabbergasted.  
He brought him a _milkshake._ He didn’t need to do that. Tadashi didn’t ask for it. And yet here he was, sitting on the curb of a sidewalk with the sly, clever, _incredibly handsome_ boy drinking it. He took another sip, still attempting to take in what was happening. He figured if he couldn’t figure it out, he might as well ask.

“So, uh. Why did you do this?” 

The boy looked over at him, face shadowed by the bright lights of the restaurant behind him.

“Do what?” 

“This.” He gestured to the drink in his hands.

“Oh. Right.” The guy sitting next to him answered, shifting his weight. He quickly looked away, and if Yamaguchi didn’t know any better he could have sworn he was flustered. 

“Well,” he continued, “I figured since it’s so hot out you wouldn’t be opposed to a cold drink.”

Tadashi didn’t quite know what to say to that. There had to be more to it, right? This guy would just randomly pick him up on his motorcycle, drive him to a diner, buy him a shake, and then sit there with him drinking it without any ulterior motive, would he?   
And that’s when it hit him.

“So is this like, a date?” 

The guy turned his head back towards him. Yamaguchi gulped. He flinched, expecting his chauffeur to throw a punch. But as he opened his eyes, the look on the other guy’s face told a different story. Although his gaze was blank, even in the dark of the night Yamaguchi could tell he was blushing. 

—————-

 

“Just drop me off at the corner.”

Kei slowed down his motorcycle as they made the last turn, loosening his grip on the handlebars. 

“You sure? You can just point out which house is yours.” He said, cocking his head towards the row of cookie-cutter homes on the dimly lit street.

“Yeah, I’m sure. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for my parents to see me with you.”

The driver laughed. He was glad the gang’s reputation reached even the older residents of their small town. He braked the bike, letting it slow to a stop at the end of the block. He felt the weight slowly move off the back of the bike as Yamaguchi pushed himself onto the sidewalk. The heat was starting to die down, and a cool breeze was starting to move in. Kei pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders. He glanced over at the freckled kid now standing on the sidewalk next to him. His brown hair blew in the wind, and Kei watched it as his mouth struggled to string any words together to end the night. What he finally ended up with was a (decidedly lame):

“See you around.” 

The boy looked up at him, as if to say: “That’s all?”  
Instead, he said:

“What did you say your name was again?”

The boy on the bike’s train of thought stopped clear in its tracks. He had been flirting with this guy for almost an hour and he had forgotten to tell him his goddamn _name._  
 _Fucking pathetic, Kei._

__After a few seconds of mental self-beration, he finally managed to spit out a weak “Tsukishima Kei.”._ _

__And then, Yamaguchi smiled that beautiful, adorable smile. The one that got Kei’s attention in the first place a few days ago in that godforsaken diner._ _

__“Thanks, Tsukishima.”_ _

__And as the biker watched him walk away into the night, suddenly every stupid thing he said this whole night didn’t matter, because he got to experience that stupid smile again._ _

__Now all he had to do was make sure he didn’t lose it._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your support with the first chapter !!! <3 <3   
> So I'm gonna try and update this every friday but bear with me if I don't always post exactly on time since I am starting my junior year soon and it might get a little hectic on my end but I will try my very best to stay on schedule!!! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

He didn’t think it was going to last.

Tadashi figured after a few weeks Tsukishima would realize how infinitely boring he was and move on the tormenting some other poor sap. But he didn’t. Not that he was complaining of course. Every evening ride that he took with the biker made his heart soar. He wasn’t sure if he could consider them dating, as you could barely call “meeting up in secret to ride a motorcycle for a few hours” a date, but he knew it was enough to warrant harsh harassment from their peers. Which he supposed was why both were terrified to make the next move. Tadashi wasn’t known for his forwardness in relationships, but he knew that if Tsukishima was a girl, he probably wouldn’t be worried to even be seen around him. It didn’t help that he could tell that Tsukishima was tiptoeing around the situation, either, leaving silent hellos awkward goodbyes. All he wished for was to be able to say “See you soon” instead of “Farewell”. 

Tsukishima was tired of it. He was tired of hiding. He was tired of secrets. He was tired of biting his thumb and biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment. There would never _be_ a perfect moment. Never would he be able to walk proudly with his boyfriend down Main Street, or share a milkshake on a busy afternoon. So, there was no use in waiting.  
So, he should get it over with. 

Tsukishima met him on his usual route, on a Wednesday evening. They always met up on Wednesdays and Fridays. He could barely focus on the road as he drove Tadashi home. It wasn’t normal for him to be so anxious like this, but then again it wasn’t normal for him to be asking anybody out at all. He preferred to stay fairly away from most suitors, as to not spread gossip of any kind. This was still way out of his comfort zone. The bike approached the corner of the road leading to the small cul-de-sac, and even though it was still warm, he felt chills run down his spine. He stopped the bike, running his foot across the chipped pavement. He normally would just balance it as Yamaguchi said his goodbyes and walked away, but this time he kicked down the kickstand.  
“Hey, wait.”  
The freckled boy turned back towards him.  
“So, I-uh,” Kei paused, resisting the urge to wring his hands, instead opting to (hopefully not too obviously) nervously scratch the back of his neck.  
“There’s this offshoot of the beach that’s pretty secluded, hardly anybody goes out there, especially at night.”  
Yamaguchi cocked his head.  
“...And?”  
“And I was wondering if you wanted to hang out there on Friday night.”  
Tsukishima could see that his companion was trying to hold back a smile. He wished he wouldn’t. 

“For sure.” 

 

The beach was quiet, save for the roaring of the waves. As the two of them sat on the sand, Tadashi couldn’t help but stare at the lack of distance between them. Their hands were close enough to be barely touching. If he wanted to, he could just reach out and grab the other boy’s hand. He could.  
He did.  
The other boy didn’t object. In fact, Tsukishima squeezed Yamaguchi’s hand tighter.  
Yamaguchi glanced up at the stars twinkling above them. It was a clear night, and from the shore they could see every single constellation. He sat there and showed each one to Kei. Orion, Gemini, Scorpio, Big and Little Dipper.

Tsukishima wasn’t focused on the constellations. Of course, they were beautiful. But his eyes were on something else.  
The other boy’s hair blew in the soft sea breeze, brushing across his tan face. With each star he pointed out, his face lit up, and he was brighter than any star. The shine was his eyes, and the constellations were his freckles. And as he sat there watching Yamaguchi, he felt off, as if he had been releasing everything he had tried to keep hidden from the world.  
If he wanted to, he could lean over and kiss him. 

He could.

He did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Sorry for the short chapter this time, I’ve had a busy week since I’m currently away on vacation! Next friday’s chapter might also be a bit late because of that ToT 
> 
> Also, aside from writing tsukkiyama fanfic I also do art ! If you want to keep up with me in that aspect I have an instagram and tumblr ! My instagram is @la.zalien, and my tumblr is la-zalien!


	4. Chapter 4

If Yamaguchi didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought he was dreaming. Two months had passed, and he was still blessed to be able to spend his weekends with Tsukishima. They sat on the beach, or in the park, or at his boyfriend’s house (under the guise of a school project), talking for hours about everything and nothing. The “bad boy” had a soft side, he quickly discovered, and he felt like he was able to tell him things he normally wouldn’t tell anybody but his close friends. He was able to share his insecurities (there were a lot of them), and talk about his fears (also a lot of them). In turn, he heard about Kei’s issues with his friends, schoolmates, even random strangers he brushed shoulders with. (“You’re a bitter guy, Kei” “Not around you, I’m not.”)  
They tended to avoid talking about their families however, which Yamaguchi was completely fine with. He was more than happy to keep what happened in his home life undisclosed. (“It’s not that important.” “I worry about you sometimes, Tadashi”) 

 

Kei was worried about his boyfriend. He had a feeling that he was having more trouble then he let on. The biker knew all about his interests, his hopes for his future (Advertising, probably) and even some of his school troubles. He knew he struggled in English, and that he avoided a lot of the football team, because they used to bully him in middle school (“I’ll take them out for you if you need me to.” “You’re too violent, Kei.”). He knew about his insecurities over looks, his height, his weight, even his freckles (which Kei thought were beautiful, and he’d tell him so in a heartbeat.) But through all of these conversations, he had a gut feeling that Yamaguchi was keeping things from him. Things that probably would be good for him to know. But maybe his boyfriend wasn’t ready to expose himself to him.  
Maybe Kei had to expose himself first.

 

“Hey, dumbass.”  
Tadashi laughed at his boyfriend’s gruff greeting.  
“Back at you, idiot.” He turned to look at Kei, who was waiting at the corner on his bike, as he did every Wednesday evening. The cold October wind ruffled up his boyfriend’s golden hair, which his hair gel was just beginning to lose its grip on.  
“What time do you have to be home tonight?”  
Yamaguchi was surprised at the question. It wasn’t one he normally got asked. He cocked his head.

“What do you have in mind?”

It wasn’t until long that he was on the back of the bike, on a completely different route then they normally took.

_“I want to show you something.”_

He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the boy’s offer, and since his dad was luckily on a business trip at the moment, he didn’t have any particular curfew. 

_“Lead the way.”_

The slow drive finally led the two of them to a small trail off on the outskirts of town. With the opening almost completely covered by bushes and trees, it was just large enough for the bike to squeeze through. He held on to his boyfriend harder than usual to avoid being thrown off as the motorcycle climbed up the rocky hill. As terrifying as it was, he found his sense of adventure had grown over the past month. Before he met Kei, this would’ve been unthinkable.  
“Are sure you know where you’re going?”  
“No, I’m completely lost.” Kei’s deadpan humor sometimes flew over Tadashi’s head. Not this time, luckily, or he probably would’ve had a panic attack.  
Eventually the trail ended and the bike slowed to a halt. Tadashi looked at the path forward.  
“It’s blocked, babe.” He said.  
Whatever was just ahead of them was blocked by a huge wire fence, maybe 10 feet high. Way too high to climb, if Kei was even thinking about it.  
“Don’t look at me like that.” Tsukishima remarked “I’m not completely crazy.”  
“Not yet.” Tadashi joked.  
His boyfriend rolled his eyes.  
“Shut up, Yamaguchi.” Kei said, giving him a light tap on the arm. He then grabbed Tadashi’s hand, and began to lead him along the side of the fence into the brush. Yamaguchi was beginning to have doubts about the safety of this whole endeavor, and he made sure to say so.  
“Are you sure about this, Kei?”  
The blonde let out a light chuckle as he forged ahead. Pushing away branches and leaves, he appeased all Tadashi’s doubt with one quiet remark;  
“Just trust me, okay?” 

 

Unfortunately, Kei wasn’t completely sure about it. Sure, he knew exactly where he was going. He just wasn’t sure if he was ready to have his boyfriend there with him. Unfortunately, it was too late to back out now, and as they reached the small opening ripped in the wire fence, he felt himself clamming up. He let go of Tadashi’s hand and lifted up the sharp edge, leaving just enough room for the two of them to crawl through. His stomach churned as they crawled out of the underbrush, but immediately dissipated as he heard his boyfriend’s soft voice.  
“Holy shit.” Yamaguchi whispered. “This is gorgeous.”  
Kei moved to stand next to him, and gazed out at the view ahead. They stood in a small clearing which jutted out of the hills on the outskirts of town. Down below were hundreds of glittering lights, both from the cars passing under them on the highway, and lights left on by people still awake in the late hours of the night. The lights below mirrored the stars above, and the two lovers stood together in between them. Kei slipped his hand into Tadashi’s, leading him over onto a small outcropping of rocks overlooking the cars below. As they sat down, Kei couldn’t get over the look of marvel on the other boy’s face. It shone as brightly as any other light in that night sky. When it seemed he had finally gathered himself, Tadashi gripped his hand tightly.  
“How did you find this place?” He asked, softly, as to not disturb the quiet magic of the small clearing.  
Tsukishima gulped.  
“My Dad found it. We used to come here a lot with my brother when I was a kid.” He answered.  
“It must mean a lot to you, then.” Yamaguchi said, looking away. Kei couldn’t see his face, couldn’t tell what his reaction was. It terrified him. It terrified him to be so vulnerable in general, and now he was starting to regret the decision to even open up in the first place.  
“My Dad never did stuff like that.” Tadashi chuckled. Kei froze. Maybe he hadn’t fucked up as bad as he thought.  
“What do you mean?”  
His boyfriend sighed.  
“You know, like, hung out with me. He never really wanted to do anything with me that didn’t include school.” He shook his head, letting out a small snort. “He still doesn’t, I guess.”  
Kei felt his stomach drop. No wonder he avoided talking about his family. He slipped his arm around Yamaguchi’s shoulders.  
“His loss, I guess.” He said, leaving a small kiss on the boy’s forehead.  
Tadashi leaned in closer, closing any gap between the two of them. He rest his head in the crook of Kei’s neck. The blonde could almost feel the pain that his boyfriend was feeling, the pain of rejection. It pissed him off. It pissed him off that he had to got through this. It pissed him off that anybody would treat him like this. And it pissed him off that he couldn't do anything about it.  
“What about you?” Tadashi suddenly whispered, poking his head up to look at Kei again.  
“What about me?” Kei asked, trying to search for some answers in his lover’s eyes.  
“Do you still hang out with your dad?”  
Kei’s stomach dropped again. He hadn’t practiced how he was gonna tell him. He couldn’t remember the last time he had told someone at all. He shifted in his seat, turning away to look at the speeding lights under them.  
“My dad-um.” He stuttered. Taking a deep breath and trying again, he managed to get out what he was trying to say.  
“My Dad is- he’s gone.”

 

“Oh.” Tadashi said, and he suddenly wished he hadn’t asked. He knew how hard it was for Kei to talk about himself, and he didn’t mean to push him out of his comfort zone.  
“I’m really sorry.”  
_Was that it? Was that all you could muster? A sorry excuse for a boyfriend you are, idiot. You can’t even say anything comforting, who the hell do you think you are? Why are you-_  
“It's not that big of a deal. It’s been a while since it happened anyway.”  
“If you don’t mind me asking, how did he-” he stuttered.  
“Car accident” Kei responded. He laughed and shook his head.  
“Like I said, it’s not that big of a deal.”  
But Tadashi could tell that it was.  
"It _is_ a big deal, Kei. You're allowed to be upset about this stuff, its-"  
"It's fine."  
His boyfriend wouldn’t look him in the eyes, he wrung his hands, and for the first time in the last 2 months, he looked nervous. He didn't want him to feel nervous. Kei was the only person in his whole life who didn't make _him_ nervous. It was the last thing he wanted. So he didn’t push it. Instead, he moved closer, hoping that his closeness was enough to comfort him. 

He really hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im so sorry for the wait!!!!!!!! i have been in a super uncreative slump recently and so i havent really been able to produce anything but heres a long-ish chapter to make up for it? thanks so much for being patient with me and im really gonna try to get back into a posting schedule <3 love you guys


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO EVERYBODY!!!! I’m so sorry for the huge delay for this chapter, I severely underestimated the amount of work I’d have and my motivation to write for this new school year :((((((( I’m going to try my best to do a semi-regular update schedule after this, but chapters might get shorter as I try to continue the story on time. Thank you for waiting, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter!!!

“When’s the last time you went to a drive-in?”

Yamaguchi laughed.   
“For the last time, Tsukki, I’ve got tons of work this weekend.”   
“I’ve seen you read a whole chapter of a book in ten minutes, there’s no way you can’t spare a day to go out of town for a bit.”  
The two of them were sitting on the park grass, taking in the nighttime air. Yamaguchi was worried about being mugged, but his nerves were calmed when Kei reminded him of the small butterfly knife poking out of his pocket.   
_“It won’t stop a bear, but it’ll fuck up someone at least.”_  
Yamaguchi gripped his boyfriend’s hand. It would be a peaceful night if somebody would stop bugging him about a certain movie. His boyfriend had been poking at him for hours now, trying to get him to go out to a drive-in theatre, an hour out of town, just to see some dumb movie called _Around the World In 80 Days._  
“I’m not throwing away my homework just to drive for hours to see some dumb comedy, babe.”   
This argument lasted for about 20 minutes.   
“Kei. If I say yes will you shut about it?”

And that was the end of that ordeal. 

They met on Sunday morning, in front of the diner. Tadashi was surprised when his boyfriend drove up to the curb in an old car, not the slick, loud motorcycle he was used to.   
“Where’d you get this thing?” He asked, swinging open the door and slipping into the passenger seat.  
“It’s my mom’s.”  
“Does she know that you have it?”  
“Not sure.” Kei slammed on the gas, pulling out onto the road. “But if she does, she doesn’t care.”  
Yamaguchi rolled his window down. He rested one hand outside of it, and the other on his boyfriend’s, which now lay on his thigh.   
“How’d you get out of all that ‘work’ you said you had?” Kei asked.  
“I told my parents I was going to study at the library.”   
“Well, that’s not entirely a lie, if you consider a movie theatre a movie library.”  
Yamaguchi laughed.   
“Kei, that makes no sense.”   
The rest of the drive was peaceful. Yamaguchi rested his head on the windowsill, letting the wind blow his long hair any way it wanted to. Soft rock music played through the radio. He watched the cars drive by next to them, popping his head up every so often to offer a new argument on why a movie theater was not a library. Tsukishima turned up the radio to tune him out, unsuccessfully. He must’ve dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knew was his boyfriend nudging him awake in the parking lot of an old mall.   
“Are we there yet?” He managed to mumble, though quite unintelligable by his standards. 

 

The two of them spent the rest of the morning in the mall, wandering the shops. Tsukishima wondered if it would be okay for them to hold hands, since they didn’t know anybody here, but he decided against it. It was dangerous for them anywhere. They still managed to have fun though, making fun of prices in the more expensive shops, and making fun of the people in the cheaper. Tadashi came up with a game where you had to choose a random person in the store and build an outfit for them, which nearly got them kicked out.   
“I bet that’s the closest run-in you’ve ever had with the law.” Tsukishima teased.  
“My dad’s a lawyer, Kei.” His (extremely flustered) boyfriend shot back, “Every single day for me is a run-in with the law.”   
They got to the theatre just before sundown. As they set up their car with the speakers and piled into the backseat, the amber hue of the sun cast a warm glow over the freckled boy’s face. Kei fell in love all over again with his beautiful brown eyes, and all the warm colors that they reflected back at him.   
“What are you staring at?”  
“You.” 

Tsukishima would like to say they spent the movie like a normal couple; half paying attention, making out in the backseat. The truth was that they did the exact opposite. It still felt like there was some wall keeping them apart, due to either embarrassment or fear. Tadashi spent the duration of it in his arms, but Kei could tell they were both terrified to do anything more. They both knew the consequences of getting caught. Nevertheless, the closeness was enough to keep them both happier than they had ever been. 

Tsukishima would never admit it to his boyfriend, but he actually hated comedies. He thought they were boring, and the jokes always fell flat. This movie was no different. The ending was unsatisfying, and he never got attached to any of the characters. If he were to describe it in brief, he would say it wholeheartedly _sucked._

But he would see it a thousand times more if it was with Tadashi.


	6. Chapter 6

“This is literally the dumbest shit I’ve ever done in my life.”  
“I’m sorry geometry isn’t on your list of ‘things that are totally bitchin’,’ Kei, but your homework still needs to get done.”

Yamaguchi was lying with his head hanging of the bed, as his boyfriend sat beside him, slaving over pages of his math textbook, grumbling through every second. The two of them had finally managed to get a house to themselves, as Kei’s brother was away at college, and his mom was at work. And they were stuck doing homework.  
Although Yamaguchi enjoyed the peace and quiet, it was occasionally interrupted by unwelcome complaints from a certain someone.  
“This is completely pointless.”  
“Not if you’re a carpenter.”  
“Do I look like I’m gonna be a carpenter, Tadashi?”  
Tadashi rolled over to inspect his boyfriend. After careful examination of all the (adorable) facets of his face, he made up his mind.  
“Nope,” he said, followed by a quick kiss on the nose. Tsukishima sighed.  
“If I get every single one of these questions right, will you kiss me?”  
Tadashi let a small chuckle escape his lips.  
“I just did, idiot.”  
Kei shook his head.  
“No, a real kiss. Not any of that nose or forehead bullshit.”  
He laughed again. It wasn’t like they hadn’t already kissed a million times before.  
“You’re so dramatic.” He rolled his eyes. “But sure, deal.”  
Half an hour later, Yamaguchi was presented with a half-crumpled sheet of loose leaf.  
“They’re all right. I checked.”  
Tadashi pushed him.  
“That doesn’t count, how do I know you aren’t cheating?”  
This earned him a textbook being thrown in his lap. He ran down the list, checking of each and every answer.  
“That’s pretty impressive.” He said, chucking the book back at the other boy. “Maybe I should come over more often. You might actually get some work done.”  
“Yeah, whatever.” Kei said, packing his stuff away. “Now, I believe you owe me something?”  
Yamaguchi snorted, cupping his boyfriend’s jaw in his hands. He leaned in and pressed their lips together, pulling him closer in the process. As he slowly slipped his arms around Kei’s shoulders, he pressed closer until he was fully entwined in the boy’s strong arms. He leaned into his embrace, deepening the kiss. The hands had suddenly found their way onto his waist and under his T-shirt. He inhaled sharply, both at the sudden chill and the unexpected intimacy.  
Kei pulled back.  
“Are you alright?”  
Tadashi felt the blush creeping up to his cheeks.  
“Yeah, I-I’m fine.” He stuttered. “This is just. New.”  
He felt his boyfriend’s chest rise quickly as he let out a small chuckle.  
“New?”  
“Y-yeah.” Tadashi wanted to hide.  
“A good ‘new’, or a bad ‘new’?”  
He mustered up his courage to learn back in again.  
“A good ‘new’.” He whispered, slipping his lips back in between Kei’s. The strong grip around him softened as the hands moved slowly up his shirt, finally resting on his stomach. He moved into the kiss, deepening it. Suddenly, he was being pushed into his back. He giggled as he fell into the pillows below him.  
“Is this okay?” He heard his boyfriend ask.  
“Will you just shut up and kiss me?” 

Kei complied.  
He softly moved his hands up and down Yamaguchi’s sides, getting small sighs in reaction each time. The pauses between breaths became longer. Kei moved his attention from his boyfriend’s mouth to the rest of him. He slowly slid his lips down to plant kisses on the side of his mouth, on his cheek, on his jaw. With each one came more small sighs, which only gave him motivation to continue. He dragged his lips down across Tadashi’s jaw, all the way down to the crook of his neck. He wanted to memorize every square inch of him, wanted to know him cover to cover..  
Tadashi laughed, tired and breathless. It was gorgeous.  
“What are you doing-“  
He barely got to finish his before Kei finally reached his collarbone, slowly moving away his shirt collar and pressing his lips to the other boy’s soft skin. Tadashi let out a quiet moan in surprise, grasping tightly at the fabric on his boyfriend’s back. Kei made sure to spend a lot of time there, pressing kisses into his tan skin and leaving marks wherever he went. Kei breathed him in, memorizing his breaths and his smell and his grip and everything that made Tadashi _Tadashi_. Before rejoining their lips together, he was able to make out three words, in a breathless whisper;

_“I love you.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas guys!!! My gift to you is a new chapter, hopefully you guys like it! I’m currently on winter break, so I might try and get another up by the end of it if i have time! In any case, I hope you’re all having a wonderful holiday and thank you again for reading (and your patience!) <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry for the long wait again. I’ll explain a bit more about what happened in the after-chapter notes, but I wanna thank you guys who are still reading for sticking around. It means a lot! I hope you guys enjoy this (fairly short) chapter!

“Yamaguchi, is that a _hickey_?”

Tadashi jumped. He had been so immersed in his math homework that he almost forgot Yachi was even there. And she was staring at him like he had three eyes. 

“What?” He so eloquently responded, slowly feeling the heat slowly take over his face.  
“You heard me! Where the hell did you get that?”   
His friend exclaimed, pushing his books aside.   
He remembered how she had _definitely_ warned him not to get involved with any of the Karasuno boys, and how if he told her now, she’d definitely kill him.  
“It’s nothing, I don’t know what you’re even talking about.” He stumbled through his lie, trying to pick up his textbook and start where he left off. However, Yachi was not willing to let the subject go that easily.  
“You liar!” She half-laughed, half-yelled into his ear. “Tell me!” She snatched his book away from him, throwing it to the chair near the bed. Yamaguchi sighed. It wasn’t any use, his friend was determined to get the answers she wanted out of him, even if it meant stopping him from doing important schoolwork.   
“I was with my boyfriend last night.” He mumbled, hoping that she would get the message and leave it alone.  
“Since when do you have a boyfriend?” Yachi asked, “Who is it? Have I met him? Why didn’t you tell me?” Her questions were getting more and more frantic as her eyes shone with increasing curiosity.  
“It’s, uh- It’s Tsukishima.”   
Tadashi wanted to crawl into a hole.   
After a few seconds of silence, the girl finally let out a strained “You have got to be kidding me.”   
“What?” Yamaguchi stammered out, “It’s not that big of a deal-“  
Yachi gave his shoulder a weak push.  
“What the hell were you thinking? You know those guys are big trouble!”  
He stood his ground.  
“Not this one.” He said firmly.  
His friend stopped.   
“What?”  
“You heard me. Tsukishima is different.”  
Tadashi heard her weakly mutter a “you’re crazy,” but she didn’t stop him.  
“He’s- he’s really kind. He listens to me, and he cares about me. I promise you, he’s different.”  
Yachi shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder.   
“Yamaguchi, you know I’m worried about you.”  
“I know-“  
“But, I believe you.”  
Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he’d do if the only other person who knew he was gay rejected him. He laughed.   
“So, about the hickey…”  
Yachi rolled her eyes.  
“You want help covering it up?”  
“Yes please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve stuck around for this long, thanks! I know my updating schedule has been less than ideal, and I don’t really have a good excuse. I was busy with midterms and semester projects for all of January, and it took me a while to find motivation to write this chapter when February came along. I really do appreciate my readers, and it means a lot that you are all still here (and checking up on me, lol). I made a goal for myself that I would write 3 chapters this month. I’m going to try to hold myself to that. I won’t give up on this story, as it does have a special place in my heart. Thank you guys again <3  
> \- sincerely, the dumb author


	8. Chapter 8

Both of them had different ways of saying I love you. 

Yamaguchi mostly used his words. He said it in passing, almost like it was just another phrase. He would say it as Kei left for the evening, or as they sat together on the couch, watching television, or whenever he was just bored. He said it as if he was never able to say it before, and he was making up for lost time.  
But he didn’t always use those words. They manifested in the quips and teasing made at Kei’s expense. You could hear it in his greetings. In the _“I missed you”_ and _“I’m glad you’re here.”_ Kei felt it in the breeze when he kissed him goodnight, murmuring a quiet _“get home safe.”_ It even wormed its way into basic conversations, in the _“how was your day”_ s and the _“are you hungry?”_ s. 

Tadashi wanted to make sure his boyfriend knew that he was loved. 

Tsukishima used his actions. He wasn’t very good at expressing his feelings, and he didn’t particularly enjoy talking about them either. For him, it manifested in more tactile things. Tadashi felt it in his touch, when Kei would rest his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He felt its energy when they held hands, their fingers locked together in loving embrace. The small things warmed him as well. When Kei would reach out and tuck some stray hair behind his ear, or when he ran his hand down his back, or when he simply was there with him. Tadashi could see it in his face when they were together. He could see it in his eyes when they passed each other in the street, or when they lay entwined late at night, with only the other for company. It radiated from his smile, when they sat and stared at the stars.  
He felt it in his kiss, soft and warm, which always felt like liquid gold on his lips as his legs turned to jelly. This way, Tadashi always thought, was his favorite way Kei said it. 

Unlike his boyfriend, Tsukishima was aware that Yamaguchi _knew_ he was loved.  
He wanted to make sure he _felt_ it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter this time, because the next few chapters are gonna get into some actual . plot things that I’ve been sorta hinting at for a bit :) so look forward to that ! I guess check the tags if you want a Hint as to what that might mean? Anyway I finally got a chapter up in less than 2 months this time lol! Writing this is really helping me destress from the pressure of this year, so thank you for allowing me to do something like this! I hope you’re all having a great day !


	9. Chapter 9

Sometimes Kei questioned his choices of friends. 

Not because he didn’t like them, no, but sometimes he was scared that their stupidity might end up being contagious. He wondered if medically, idiocy would be considered a disease, whether it was curable, and whether it could be passed on to others. He thought all of this as he watched Kuroo and Bokuto attempt to see how many assorted tools they could stack on the hood of his mom’s old car before it would collapse. Normally, he would discourage behavior like this, but the lemon was sturdy, and he figured if the tower of wrenches were to topple it would result in some hilarious injuries and a heaping helping of “I told you so”. For a group of guys who were considered the most notorious gang on the east side of town, they sure got up to some bullshit behind closed doors. Him and Akaashi sat by, half watching the disaster unfold, half immersed in a game of poker. Kei’s hand was terrible. But he wasn’t about to let Akaashi know that. 

“I raise you a dollar.” He said, tossing a bill into the center pile. Akaashi raised an eyebrow. 

“All in,” his owlish friend responded, pushing his whole pile into the center to accompany Kei’s measly dollar. 

“God damn it,” he sighed, “I fold.” 

Akaashi laughed, scooping up the money he had won over the past few rounds. At the same time, they heard a crash, metal scattering the garage floor, and several loud “ _fuck_ ”’s coming from the perpetrators. Kei leaned back in his seat to look at the two. 

“What did I tell you?” He quipped, watching Bokuto nurse a large red mark on his hand where a wrench had struck him. 

“Damn it! We got it so high too!” his friend sulked.   
Kei sighed, and stood up to help the two idiots clean up the mess. 

Although he made fun of them a lot, Kuroo and Bokuto, the two leaders of the pack, so to speak, were pretty impressive as far as leaders go. Kuroo lacked common sense sometimes, but he had the cunning and tactics to back up any stupid plan he came up with. Plus, he was quick with a knife. Bokuto, although less brains than brawn, had an impressive build, and could be pretty intimidating when he needed to be. The two of them made up the executive branch of the Crows, and without them much of the antics they got into would probably fall apart.

As the chaos settled, he heard a phone ringing from inside the house. He left the garage and headed into the kitchen, grabbing an apple off the table before picking up the phone. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, Kei! It’s Tadashi.” 

Kei smiled. He wasn’t expecting a call from his boyfriend at this time in the afternoon, but he welcomed it nonetheless. He closed the kitchen door, making sure his friends couldn’t hear him. 

“Hey babe, whats up?” 

He heard Tadashi chuckle on the other line. Kei had thought pet names were pretty stupid, and he had started calling his boyfriend a bunch of cheesy ones as a joke. Somewhere along the line, he had slowly drifted into using them seriously. (Only the pretty normal ones, though. You’d rather find him dead than catch him calling anybody “cutie pie”.) 

“I was wondering if you wanted to come over and watch a movie at my house tonight.” Tadashi said. His mom was on a business trip with his dad, so they wouldn’t be home. Plus, they were showing a sci-fi movie marathon on tv, and he was just _dying_ to see It Came From Outer Space. 

“Yeah, sure. What time?” 

They agreed on 7:00, as the marathon started at 8. They chatted for a few more minutes, then Kei hung up. He couldn’t be gone for too long, or his friends would get suspicious. Moving back into the garage, he walked into an interesting, yet unsurprising scene. Kuroo and Bokuto had returned to stacking things, this time not on his car’s hood, but on one of their bikes’ seats. Just as they seemed to reach their record of 7 wrenches, Konoha sped into the driveway. 

“Guys, we’ve got Snakes.”

—————————

If the Crows were the most notorious gang on the east side, then the Snakes ruled the west. Led by their leader, Daishou, the gang usually stayed on their side of town. _Usually_. On the rare occasion that they decided to overstep their boundaries, well, the Crows would have to overstep theirs. All four of the boys grabbed their bikes and drove off after Konoha, leaving the garage, the poker game, and the stacks of wrenches behind. 

When they pulled up to the old parking lot, the other gang had already set up camp. Kuroo revved his engine as he parked his bike, his tires skidding on the pavement. 

“Hey you slippery motherfuckers!” was how he greeted their rivals. Kei pulled up behind him, kicking up his kickstand and jumping off. 

Daishou moved toward Kuroo, slicking back his greased-up hair. The two of them had had a rivalry going past just the gang relations, going all the way back to grade school. Kei had no clue what started it, but knowing Kuroo, it was probably something really stupid. 

“What’s going on, you ugly bitch?” The snakelike man responded. For a gang called the snakes, their leader really fit the bill. Kei wondered what came first, the gang name or the leader. 

“I thought we had rules, Daishou!” Kuroo yelled back. “You stay on your side, and we stay on ours.” 

“Yeah, well maybe we felt like being a little bit risky today!”

The two of them bantered like that, back and forth, before Bokuto finally stepped up and declared that he was “sick of all this talk” and that they should “settle the issue like real men!” 

Which was the smartest thing he’d said all day, in Kei’s opinion. 

———————————-

“Why the hell did you _do_ this, Kei?”

He was sitting in his boyfriend’s living room, the latter holding a bag of ice to the bump slowly forming on the side of his forehead. He told his boyfriend he would come over, and he never broke promises. Unfortunately, Kei did not think that he would have to come over beaten and bruised. 

“I told you, they-“

“They were on your turf,” Tadashi interrupted. “Yeah, yeah, I get that. I mean why the hell do you have to get all violent about it?”

“I-“

“You know,” his boyfriend continued, “one of these days you’re gonna get really hurt and I’m not gonna be able to stitch you back together.”

Kei chuckled, leaning over and kissing Tadashi in the forehead. If he was completely honest, he did feel bad making his boyfriend worry like this. And he didn’t quite like being lectured either. 

“If I say sorry, will you quit scolding me?” He whispered, slipping one arm around the other boy’s shoulder with the other holding the ice pack against his head. 

Tadashi rolled his eyes, but still moved in to the gesture anyway. 

“Fine.” He mumbled, burying his head in Kei’s neck. 

“But will you shut up? The movie’s about to start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dang she finally posted after.... almost 2 months? I don’t really have any new excuse,,, I just had a rough 2 months with school and motivation was. Really hard to get a hold of. Hopefully this chapter is long enough that it sort of makes up for it? I’m gonna try and . Pre-write chapters for May and June so I don’t have to make you guys wait so long but anyway,, thank you for reading, I really really want to finish this story!! It is going to happen!!! Just. Slower than expected. I really appreciate you guys so please be patient just a while longer until school ends >< <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!~~  
> This is my first fic I've ever posted so I really hope you guys like it!!! These two are very near and dear to my heart and I really hope I'll do them justice here! Enjoy!


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